1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a projection lens applicable to a video projector which projects an enlargement of an image appearing on a cathode-ray tube (CRT) onto a screen, and more particularly to a compact projection lens with a large aperture obtained through employment of lens with aspheric surfaces and proper selection of optical power.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a three-tube type video projector which projects onto a screen enlargements of images appearing on blue, red and green CRTs each having a relatively narrow width of emission spectrum through the projection lenses, it is not required to correct the chromatic aberration of each lens. Meanwhile, due to outstanding developments involving a plastic molding technique, lenses having aspheric surfaces can recently be formed with high accuracy and at a low cost. Combining the features of the video projector system described above and the development of the manufacturing technique for lenses having aspheric surfaces, simplified projection lenses having a structure consisting of three lenses including an aspheric surface lens have been proposed as disclosed in the Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 55-124114 (Japanese Patent Application corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,817), Japanese Laid-Open Patent Applications Nos. 57-34515, 57-108818 and 58-125007, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,348,081.
These conventional projection lenses are simple in structure, but lacking in compactness. Actually, in the conventional projection lenses, if the focal length of total lens system is represented by f, the length of the total lens system from the front surface of first lens to the rear surface of third lens is as long as 1.33f to 2.22f. Recently, a requirement for a small depth video projector set has been realized in the market place, and compactness of the lens system for the projector set is considered to be very important as a means for realizing such requirement.